It was the American sitcom (情景喜剧) that influenced a generation. The six stars of Friendswenttheir separate ways after 237 episodes and a decade together as flat mates, sharing their lives, loves and careers in aNew York apartment.
“Friends had a huge influence on American TV history”, said Steve Beverly, professor of communication arts. “This group of six reflected what people their age experienced in their daily lives, so viewers could understand them easily.”
We all wanted a life like theirs—the cool New York flat with table football and easy chairs, and the
social circle of beautiful, supportive friends. We also wanted to drink endless coffee, which was one example of how the show changed our lives. Even the haircut of Rachel—one of the six—was copied by millions of women.
The show has been credited with influencing how many of us speak. Researchers analyzed every
episode to explore whether popular culture influenced how we speak. Before the show, people usually put
very orreally before an adjective. On Friends, they used so. “This guy is so cool,” they said, and now we
all say it.
The show enjoyed a huge increase in ratings after the 11 September terrorist attacks, as sad New
Yorkers struggled to make sense of the real horrors that had unfolded around them. In the show, they
sought the return of a feel-good factor (因素), according to Robert Thompson, professor of television and
popular culture. “Friendsis set not in the realNew York, but in the fantasyNew York where everybody leaves their doors unlocked and people don’t fly planes into buildings,” he said.
Friendsis more than just a sitcom; it’s a way of life. Our attitudes to theFriends’ lives is a mixture of envy: ‘How do they get to sit on sofas all day drinking coffee?” and disdain: “Don’t they have anything better to do with their time, like earn a living to pay for thatManhattan apartment?” Anyway, althoughFriends came to an end long ago, it will last forever.
(1) According to Steve Beverly, many people like Friends because ______.
(4) In the last paragraph, the underlined word “distain” most probably means _______.